Live from Provincetown, it’s Ana Gasteyer

Friday

Sep 8, 2017 at 8:42 AM

By Lynda Sturner Banner Correspondent

Mention Ana Gasteyer and the first thing people think of is “Saturday Night Live.” No matter that that it’s been 21 years since she first began working as a regular cast member and left the show in 2002. Thanks to YouTube, reruns and social media, the fabulous characters Gasteyer has created are available for viewing 24-7.

Who can forget Gasteyer as Margaret Jo McCullin, the hushed NPR host of “Delicious Dish,” nibbling on Betty White’s Dusty Muffin or Alec Baldwin’s Schweddy Balls? And how about the time she sang “Uptown Funk” as opera buffo along with Will Ferrell, when they were the classically trained and hopelessly uncool middle school music teachers Bobbi Mohan-Culp and Marty Culp?

Then there are Gasteyer’s impressions of Celine Dion, Martha Stewart and Barbra Streisand. It’s a pleasure to watch them over again and laugh.

Gasteyer, however, is not one to dwell in the past.

“If people want to hear about it, I’ll speak more about ‘SNL’ at my show with Seth Rudetsky,” she says. It will be at 7 p.m. on Saturday at The Art House. “I love Provincetown and I love Seth. We’ve been friends for a long time. Usually, I don’t do concerts during the summer, so I can spend time with my family. But coming to Provincetown is special.”

Her reticence to relive the ‘SNL’ glory days is understandable. In the 15 years since she left the show, she has done legit theater, creating the role of Elphaba in the Chicago production of “Wicked” and appearing on Broadway in “The Threepenny Opera” and “The Royal Family.” She also recorded a jazz album, “I’m Hip”; played Lindsay Lohan’s mom in the movie “Mean Girls”; starred in the ABC series “Suburgatory” for three seasons; and pulled an Eve Arden as Principal McGee in “Grease Live!” on Fox. Gasteyer is currently starring in the streaming series “Lady Dynamite,” on Netflix, and in the second season of TBS’ alien-abduction series “People of Earth.”

Asked if she is a believer in alien abductions, she says, “The abduction survivors believe it! I definitely believe in alien life, but what can I say? I’m not sure.”

Gasteyer, who was born and raised in Washington, D.C. — her dad was a lobbyist — wasn’t really aware of being funny as a child. “I always thought other people were funnier than I am,” she says. “Growing up, my family was funny, and my friends were incredibly funny. I wasn’t, like, the class clown. Professional comics are usually not. They are better at observing what’s going on in the parking lot. Life is more interesting if you can laugh at it.”

She went to college at Northwestern University, studying voice and theater. “It was a fabulous school,” Gasteyer says, “and I’m grateful for the wonderful training I received.” After graduating, she joined the improvisational comedy group known as The Groundlings, in Los Angeles, which has long been a conduit for “SNL.” Other alumni include Kristen Wiig, Taran Killam, Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Chris Kattan, Chris Parnell, Jan Hooks, Jon Lovitz, Julia Sweeney, Cheri Oteri, Phil Hartman and — going all the way back to season one — Laraine Newman.

Once again her story circles back to “Saturday Night Live.” “I feel incredibly lucky,” Gasteyer says. “I’ve worked with some of the best people on ‘SNL,’ and they are still my best friends in the world. The crazy thing about that show is that you get exposed to hundreds of superstars and, generally speaking, they are on their best behavior, because they’re in an ensemble situation. I feel very, very grateful that I got to work with the talent I did.”